Theater Does Hamilton Hit The Heights Not Yet But It Is Close

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12/16/2015Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" Not Yet, But It's Close! | Evernote Web https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=b60c4ab8-cdc1-4d57-b98c-883484a3a78f&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&1/5Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" NotYet, But It's Close!Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" Not Yet, But It's Close!HAMILTON *** out of **** THE PUBLIC THEATERIs Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical Hamilton exciting? Yes. Does it allow us to banish the memory of Bring ItOn: The Musical as a misfire and make In The Heights the start of a lengthy career and not a one-hit wonder?Absolutely. Can it improve mightily before the inevitable Broadway transfer? Indeed, with some judiciousrecasting, rejiggering, reshaping by director Thomas Kail (in top form here) and if Miranda makes like Hamiltonand keeps writing on and on till the break of dawn! (Actually, Miranda looked understandably exhausted thenight I saw the show, so here's hoping he can collapse and catch his breath though I doubt the Tony calendarwill allow that.)But if they didn't change a word, I'd gladly see the show again right away just for the many talented performersand Miranda's groundbreaking score. (Last summer we had the Tupac Shakur musical Holler If Ya Hear Me,which seemed almost afraid to be hip hop. Hamilton dives right in and lets the audience catch up. Don't worry --even your mother will follow the flow. It's not so different, really, from Henry Higgins talk-singing his way throughMy Fair Lady, not with Miranda and the rest enunciating their lines with casual, clear aplomb.)You might call Hamilton brash and irreverent. The Founding Fathers in rap battles, dissing one another?Scandalous. Or at best clever-clever. But you'd be wrong. Hamilton is brash and very reverent, which is crucialto its success. It's not mocking those old white dudes in wigs, it's celebrating the battle of ideas and the actualbattles they engaged in, the freedoms they fought for and the freedoms they would give themselves and otherslike them while wittingly or not creating a fluid political system that would slowly expand those freedoms to moreand more members of society until people of color in this cast could play them onstage and it would feel naturaland inevitable and right.Ultimately, Miranda treats the Founding Fathers the way many of them could not or would not treat poor whitemen or women or slaves or Indians or people of color -- as people, living and breathing with hopes and dreamsand fears and blood coursing through their veins, not the living legends that make so many Revolutionarydramas dead on arrival. Nothing here is ironic; nothing is in quotes, even when it's being cheeky. It's excitingand passionate and fully immersed in Revolutionary America and that is what allows it to crucially come alive,not the style of music in which it's performed. (The show is inspired by the Hamilton biography of Ron Chernow,with book, music and lyrics by Miranda.)Good heavens, all that and I haven't even described the plot yet. But you know the plot, at least in its broadestterms. Alexander Hamilton is an orphan come to America seeking...attention perhaps. He's on fire withrevolutionary ardor and befriends a group of men like Lafayette (Daveed Diggs) and Hercules Mulligan(Okieriete Onaodowan) and most of all -- or is that least of all -- Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom, Jr.) Hamilton can'tstop arguing and talking and giving his opinion. Burr is cadgy and quiet, playing things close to the vest.They travel on separate but roughly parallel tracks and Burr is frustrated as Hamilton rises and rises, first as acrucial aide to George Washington (Christopher Jackson) during the Revolution and then as an effective cabinet12/16/2015Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" Not Yet, But It's Close! | Evernote Web https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=b60c4ab8-cdc1-4d57-b98c-883484a3a78f&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&2/5member and deal maker. On and on Hamilton rises while Burr remains on the outside, always looking in.Ultimately, Burr sees his chance to become President and as a forerunner of so many politicians to come,cannily avoids taking a firm stance on issues, campaigns openly for the office (so tacky!) and uses whatever dirthe can to smear Hamilton. That leads to the fateful and fatal duel, with Hamilton the eternal martyr and Burr abyword for treachery.Like the musical 1776, Hamilton finds high drama in battles over the banking system and other debates aboutthe shape and size of the federal government. It's just this time they take place as rap battles. The heart of theshow is not really Hamilton's private life (which is richly drawn) but the camaraderie between the men whooverthrew the yoke of England and established a new nation. Swanning in and out with commentary for all-too-brief moments is Brian D'Arcy James as King George. His doleful look and confusion over the colonies ispriceless counterpoint to the action.Counterbalancing Hamilton's almost non-stop rise on the political stage (despite being a know-it-all who can picka fight with friends, Hamilton knows how to deal and get things done) is a fraught private life. He is entranced bythe wealthy Schuyler sisters. Angelica (Renée Elise Goldsberry) is his soul mate but she steps aside for heryounger, often overshadowed sister Eliza (Phillipa Soo) who is immediately infatuated with this magnetic butpenniless revolutionary. They marry but Hamilton is repeatedly drawn to the mind of Angelica and --unfortunately -- the body of a random woman who pleads for his financial aid, offers her favors in return andthen becomes a pawn in a blackmail scheme by the woman's husband.It's this betrayal of Eliza that proves hugely damaging to Hamilton. One-upping Burr in the who-is-more-modernsweepstakes, Hamilton makes a full and public confession that humiliates his wife. That leads to his hot-heatedson's death by dueling with a man that insulted Hamilton's name and that ultimately leads to Hamilton's duel withBurr.If this seems like a lot of territory to cover, it is. Whereas the show moves along swiftly in the public realm, theprivate back and forth takes up too much of the show's time and slows it down. If Miranda is ready to shape andprune away to reveal the truly great show waiting to be born, this is where he'll start. For example, his son(Anthony Ramos, very good in dual roles) becomes angry when hearing about a man insulting his father. Heheads out on the town, chats with some women, tracks the man down, confronts him at the theater, demandssatisfaction or a duel, reveals what he's doing to his father, gets advice, heads out for the duel, is shot, isbrought home and dies with both parents naturally distraught. Almost none of this is necessary and might easilybe condensed to Hamilton discovering his son is going to duel, offering the advice to manfully aim his pistol inthe air (which any gentleman will acknowledge and do the same) and then in the next moment be blindsidedwhen his son is brought home at death's door. Not only would it be much quicker, it would have much moreemotional impact.Similarly, Hamilton's indiscretion with a random woman is played out at laborious and uninteresting length. Whynot a quick glance and then cut to Hamilton being confronted by political opponents followed by his publicconfession. Do we need to see him being tempted? We know he's often away from his wife and truly onlydesires her sister. Audiences are familiar enough with politicians who expect it all to derive a lot from a sultryglance and don't need even that, truly. This area is ripe for trimming as well. Much of the show moves over agreat deal of history with vivid speed, so perhaps they felt the need to linger over the private moments to givethe story emotional heft. But it has it already and the anguish and drama that remains will have more weight, notless.Less would certainly be more in terms of choreography. Andy Blankenbuehler's work is almost too modern inthis context. Obviously, the musical style of the show is a constant modern gloss, commentary or call it what youwill to the action of the 1700s. Paul Tazewell's costumes understand this: the era-authentic clothes have a dashof modernity here and there to define a character or attitude, aided by the hair and wig design of Charles12/16/2015Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" Not Yet, But It's Close! | Evernote Web https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=b60c4ab8-cdc1-4d57-b98c-883484a3a78f&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&3/5LaPointe which does the same. It's never for cheap contrast or laughs and rarely calls attention to itself. (In myone complaint, I'd say the corsets of the female chorus do just that and should be rethought; they're hardly racybut still seemed a little too eye-catching. They can't vote yet; at least don't ask them to dance around in whatwere undergarments!) But where the costumes save modern touches for subtle flavor, the choreography isendlessly calling attention to itself. Perhaps it's the smallish stage of the Public and a Broadway house will allowhis work to realize itself more fully. But ladled on top of Miranda's hip hop score, it seems like gilding the lily.The basic design of the show by David Korins works very well, using a turntable within a turntable to keep thecast and props and the show in constant Les Miz-like motion, all smoothly handled by Kail. However, the stageis overshadowed by a second level with a boardwalk along the sides and back of the stage. It's bulky andwooden and rather dimly lit, which certainly emphasizes the period nature of the story. But that second level isalmost never used in an interesting fashion, excepting a few modest times that could be easily lost. Again andagain, one felt that any chorus members or actors "upstairs" served no purpose other than a minor decorativeone. A few brief moments work, such as wheeling out a staircase for various effects or lowering a galley soHamilton could disembark in the New World (perhaps the best visual touch involving the upper half and it occursvery early on). Dramatically, visually, theatrically, that entire upper deck is dead space, filled rather desultorily.Again, a much bigger Broadway stage might allow it to be used better. But why bother? It's not necessary andremoving it would allow the show to breathe more and perhaps permit a lighting palette by Howell Binkley thatgoes beyond gloomy and gloomier. The effective touches can be achieved easily without the constricting, dark,looming presence of that second tier.Happily, Miranda and director Kail are blessed with an excellent cast assembled with Bethany Knox, drawing onold friends from In The Heights and exciting new talent. With two modest, non-fatal exceptions, they areexcellent. Hamilton and his buddies are like the Four Musketeers taking on the world: credit the writing and thesongs and the direction and everything that goes into it. But above all, credit the four actors who generate terrificsympathy. Other than Miranda, they all double up very effectively. Ramos is good as John Laurens andHamilton's son (especially as a little kid). Onaodowan gets the pleasure of playing two very different men,Hercules followed by the dour and hunched over James Madison. But Diggs is the breakout here, first as thehilariously French Lafayette and then even more gleefully as Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton's notable foil. Histalent is infectious.Jackson is the modest exception. He has the physical stature for George Washington and handles the ditheringnicely enough. But he lacks the gravitas, the natural charisma and leadership that Washington must exude or atleast strive for. Whatever might make Washington an interesting compelling character, Jackson does not bringit. He may be on stage for significant periods but you're never drawn to him. Perhaps in part it's due to nothaving a defining song that I noticed. But I think Jackson is simply not right for the role.Jasmine Cephas Jones is amusing in the minor role of Peggy Schuyler and less effective in the far lessinteresting part of the woman Hamilton dallies with. I'm not sure Peggy is even necessary here, other thanbecause she was present in history. And if they drastically trim down the role of seductress/fallen woman MariaReynolds, both could be handled by a chorus member. I suppose others might have as much fun with thedelicious cameos of King George but no one will do it better than D'Arcy James.As the opposing sisters, Soo has the unfortunate task of playing the less interesting sister and playing itopposite Goldsberry. Like Diggs, Goldsberry is on fire here, immediately drawing you to her every time she'sanywhere near the stage. Her fiery R&B rap where she details why she has sacrificed her heart for the needs ofher family is terrifically done. Indeed, everyone handles the dense and demanding score with skill. Miranda hasgiven many characters defining styles that delineate them without standing out as dramatically different. It's notas if one character sings salsa and another gets gangsta rap. The score feels of a piece but a character likeAngelica is her own specific woman and Goldsberry brings her to life brilliantly. Soo is good in the dramatic12/16/2015Theater: Does "Hamilton" Hit "The Heights?" Not Yet, But It's Close! | Evernote Web https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=b60c4ab8-cdc1-4d57-b98c-883484a3a78f&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&4/5scenes that come late in the show for Eliza but her singing is not compelling; unfortunately, she has some bignumbers like "Burn" which don't land with the passion another better singer might bring to it. For now, the showfeels out of balance with these two sisters, at least on the musical end. And this is after all a musical.That leaves Hamilton and Burr. Miranda is excellent as Hamilton but is it scandalous to suggest he may noteven be the ideal one? Hamilton should constantly irk and annoy you even if you admit he's right. Miranda hasan essentially likable and winning nature. That allows him to pull off this prickly and ambitious man but I canimagine the role he has created brought to even greater heights. He is by no means a drawback. Miranda didindeed have rings under his eyes and look wrung out on the press night I attended. But it didn't show in hiscommitted and fully realized performance. He's the central figure and holds the stage with ease.Matching him every step of the way is Odom, another terrific find for me in this excellent cast. He's sexy andsmart throughout, never allowing Burr to become the stock villain a lesser actor (and lesser writer of the book)might have made of him. Their back and forth works beautifully, never overplaying the rivalry as Burr burns withthwarted ambition but still essentially respects Hamilton every step of the way, from the opposite directions theytake in the Revolution to the ten steps they take in opposite directions during the final duel. I felt the scenewhere they both became fathers was unnecessary; these men already seemed bonded by their struggles in theRevolution and there was no need to show them linked in private matters so bluntly. Indeed, one wished Burr --ever the outsider -- became even more the narrator with the modest moments of his private life excisedcompletely (even Odom can't make these minor, unnecessary numbers interesting).It ends very well with Burr but sadly the show continues a bit longer. Suddenly, Eliza, who has come forwardmore and more as she and Hamilton finally bond in grief, takes center stage for the closing song. In a veryextended coda, we hear about all the work she did to preserve Hamilton's legacy and the other good deeds shedid (like opening a private orphanage). It's all noble and frankly quite interesting; suddenly Eliza becomes moreintriguing than we'd ever imagined. But the show is ending (or at least trying to) and learning about what she didin the decades after Hamilton's death is simply unnecessary. She sings about telling his story, as if everyonehas been obsessed with this idea (that idea is echoed in the show's poster). Yet at first blush, I felt no suchurgency in the rest of the show over "who lives, who dies, who tells your story." What Eliza accomplished wasfascinating and I guess Miranda wanted to give this woman her due. But it doesn't serve the story, howevercompelling her actions may be. The show begins with Burr and it should end with Burr.A great musical is right in front of us on the stage of the Public. They simply need to clear away the extraneousmaterial, clear away the gloomy wooden structure entombing the stage, clear away some of the truly fascinatingbut not truly pertinent details of their private lives (don't worry, no one is going to confuse this with 1776), clearaway the modern dance flourishes and reveal the show waiting to be shaped into something that is truly -- asHamilton never said -- dope.THEATER OF 2015Honeymoon In Vegas ** The Woodsman *** Constellations ** 1/2 Taylor Mac's A 24 Decade History Of Popular Music 1930s-1950s ** 1/2 Let The Right One In ** Da no rating A Month In The Country ** 1/2 Parade in Concert at Lincoln Center ** 1/2 Hamilton ***_____________

Theater Does Hamilton Hit The Heights Not Yet But It Is Close

📄 Theater Does Hamilton Hit The Heights Not Yet But It Is Close

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